1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus that executes facsimile communications over a line, a control method, and a storage medium for controlling the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
One conventionally known method for transmitting image data by facsimile is, after receipt of a user's instruction to execute facsimile transmission, to read an original and accumulate generated image data once into a memory and then, after completing the reading of all pages of the original, to acquire a line. Such a transmission method is called memory transmission.
Another well-known method is, after receipt of a user's instruction to execute facsimile transmission, to acquire a line in advance so as to establish communications with a facsimile apparatus that is the destination of transmission before initiating the reading of an original, and then to sequentially transmit image data simultaneously with the operation of reading an original. Such a transmission method is called direct transmission.
Now, in the case where a user transmits facsimile data by means of either memory or direct transmission as described above, another user's instruction may in some cases initiate the use of a line while the former user is inputting settings for the execution of facsimile transmission. In such a case, a problem arises in that the user who completed inputting the settings for the execution of facsimile transmission cannot initiate the execution of facsimile transmission soon and has to wait until the end of the line use according to another user's instruction.
In particular, in the case of direct transmission as described above, the reading of an original also cannot be initiated until the end of the line use according to another user's instruction, that is, the reading will be initiated only after the line is available, which reduces operating efficiency.
Note that the “settings for the execution of facsimile transmission” as used herein refers to, for example, the selection of a destination, the placement of an original, specification of transmission parameters (such as resolution and read size), and so on. The “use of a line according another user's instruction” refers to, for example, cases such as facsimile transmission according to another user's instruction or timer transmission of facsimile data that has been previously stored in a memory along with transmission-time information.
Another conceivable case is that a user's instruction to execute facsimile transmission may be issued from an external apparatus that is connected to a facsimile apparatus over a network, instead of the user operating the facsimile apparatus itself to issue an instruction to execute facsimile transmission. In such a case, a user who operates an external apparatus has difficulty in knowing in real time whether or not the line of the facsimile apparatus is currently busy and thus suffers the inconvenience of knowing that the line is busy for the first time when he or she has issued an instruction to execute facsimile transmission.
In addition, the possibility of the above problem occurring increases if a single facsimile apparatus is connected to a plurality of external apparatuses, in which case facsimile transmission is executed according to an instruction from each external apparatus. In other words, the problem is more serious in the above environment because when a user using a certain external apparatus has issued an instruction to execute facsimile transmission, the line is more likely to be busy with another user's instruction from another external apparatus.
On the other hand, a conventional technique as described in the following Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-085990 that is intended to allocate a line for use in facsimile communications has been known.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-085990 discloses a technique for line control by defining which use status, “open,” “reserved,” or “busy,” each communication line has. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-085990 is intended to prevent all lines from being used for facsimile transmission and to thereby avoid a situation where there remains no line that can be used for facsimile reception; it enables the interruption of the use of a line upon an incoming call by keeping a line in a “reserved” state for a predetermined period of time before transmission.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-085990 described above is, however, only intended to allocate a line for use in facsimile reception and not intended to allocate a line for use in facsimile transmission.
In addition, according to the technique described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-085990, the “reserved” state for a predetermined period of time is provided only after a user has issued an instruction to execute facsimile transmission. Thus, if before the issuance of a user's instruction to execute facsimile transmission, another user's instruction has initiated the use of a line, there still remains the problem that the user has to wait until the end of the line use according to another user's instruction.